Getting Started
To be eligible to carry out a Specialization in Cancer Biology, students must average a B grade in a Fundamentals Sequence.
Students who plan to specialize in Cancer Biology are advised to begin the required specialization courses (see Catalog ) in their second or third year in the College with the required BIOS 25108: Cancer Biology class.
Students who elect to specialize should email the Director of the Specialization, Dr. Kay F. Macleod, The Ben May Department for Cancer Research (kmacleod@uchicago.edu) providing: contact information, name and contact for your college advisor and a copy of your most recent grade transcript, and a half page summary of why you are interested in the Specialization in Cancer Biology and what your long term career goals are.
Autumn Quarter Information Session
An overview of the Specialization is provided at the first class of BIOS 25108: Cancer Biology in Autumn quarter each year. At this information session, advice will be provided on the objectives of the Specialization, the importance of each of the classes and guidelines on how to identify labs for individual research projects. Interested students are encouraged to bring any questions about requirements and research options to this class.
Coursework Requirements
In summary, the specialization requires completing two required cancer biology courses, plus one approved upper-level elective and submitting a research project and thesis. Please see the coursework requirements for the Cancer Biology Specialization in the Biological Sciences Major in the College Catalog.
Research and Thesis Requirement
To complete the Specialization in Cancer Biology, students will also carry out individual guided research in a cancer research laboratory and are also encouraged to attend cancer biology-related seminars (CCB and UCCCC). Independent research projects performed by students in the Specialization in Cancer Biology must be of sufficiently high standard to qualify as a senior honors project and ideally to produce data that contributes to peer-reviewed publication. Students are encouraged to begin their research project no later than the Spring/Summer quarter of their third year. The research must be approved by the director of the specialization, Dr. Kay Macleod. If the thesis will be counted towards Honors or a BS, then it must also be approved by the directors of those programs.
Participation in the research component of the Specialization in Cancer Biology requires:
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the student to identify a research project and mentor
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participation in an original research project for at least one year
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submission of a research thesis ahead of graduation. The completed thesis must be reviewed and approved first by the student’s faculty research mentor and then by an expert faculty thesis committee, selected by the student
Thesis submission timeline:
The thesis should be submitted in time for its review by the faculty thesis committee before the end of Week 7 of Spring quarter ahead of graduation. Thesis committee members should all fill out the required thesis review form by end of Week 7. Submission of the final revised thesis to the BSCD is required by the end of Week 8 of Spring quarter ahead of graduation.